Re: First LD Ride disappointing

["Linda S. Flemmer" <bluwolf@earthlink.net>]

EISENHART@aol.com wrote:

> This ride was in the NE.  I also have a question for all that do 50 miles.  At
> the finish...are the finish lines usually roped off, or is it common to just
> have horses hand galloping into the finish with people standing around
> watching and other horses being cooled for the final vet check?

I've very seldom seen a finish line roped off to keep horses and spectators back.
The rules simply require a pre-determined finish line... No amorphous "it ends
over yonder".  If horses were already in to cool out and get a final vet check,
was there really any reason to gallop for the finish (unless you were trying for
the last top ten position?)

The ride we attended this weekend purposely set the 50mile finish line in a safe
location to avoid racing on a narrow path & thru a small gate.  After the top ten,
the finish was when you crossed the river into the hold area several hundred yards
down the narrow trail.  Yes, horses were all around be cooled out.  People were
hanging around watching for their riders.  At the same time, the people at the
stop were willing to give us a hand and horses were positioned to allow an "alley"
that was free of congestion - by common consent of the riders and spectators.

I usually prefer 50 mile rides, but we did the 25 LD there to see how my horse
would fare after a pull for lameness 3 months ago.  (He passed with flying
colors!)  Nobody looked down on us.  They gave me the benefit of the doubt on
experience.  (I wasn't made to sit through the "Newbies" lecture.)  I saw quite a
few folks in the LD that did the distance for physical reasons (their own or the
horse's).  Very well done ride - Rockbridge Hunt Ride in VA.

> I had no idea what to expect.  The "old-timers" didn't seem to want to help
> out new riders.  Management was horribly unorganized...
>
> I'd really like to hear from other LD riders to see if this was just an
> exception.
>


Try another ride & see how it goes.  It may have been a poor ride, or your
expectations may need to be different.  It is a different world from CTR, that's
for sure.  Don't judge the whole sport by only one LD ride.  If you aren't sure
how things work or what the norm is, ask questions of the ride management or here
on ride camp so you'll know what to expect.

Linda Flemmer